youth gangs

Criminal and problem causing groups of young people cost Dutch society hundreds of millions of euros per year, according to a study by bureau Cebeon. The study "Costly friendships" was commissioned by the Ministry of Security and Justice, AD reports.

This is the first time the costs of criminal and problem causing youth gangs were calculated, according to the newspaper. The Netherlands counted almost 200 such groups in 2014.

The number of youth gangs in the Netherlands has taken a sharp dive in the last four years according to Minister Ivo Opstelten of Security and Justice in a letter to the House of Representatives. In 2009, there were 1760 active youth gangs. At the end of 2013, this dropped by 56 percent to 764.